


Full Circle

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-08
Updated: 2006-03-08
Packaged: 2018-08-16 03:37:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8085355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: Trip and Hoshi meet up again in the future. (08/29/2004)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

### Amazon University—Earth

Lt. Hoshi Sato pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail as she walked down the hall towards her office. It had been a long day, trying to get her students to learn basic Vulcan vocabulary. They couldn't, or maybe wouldn't, learn the language, even though Vulcans were now more than just allies, they were part of the UFP with Earth. Of course, her Vulcan class was easier than her Andorian class. Everyday there was a new joked about the blue skinned, white haired aliens. And everyday Hoshi was just a little closer to just flunking everyone who laughed. Of course, then she'd have to flunk the entire class, which the University would look down on. With a sigh, Hoshi shoved open her office door, then froze, letting out a startled gasp as she saw the man standing by the windows. "Who are you?" she demanded. "I have a phase pistol..."

"Unless your shot's seriously improved, I'm not scared, Darlin'," he said as he turned, smirking. Hoshi let out a sound very close to a growl. "What do you want?" she demanded. "And you have no business in my office without my permission."

"I outrank you, Hosh," Captain Charles 'Trip' Tucker replied. "I gave myself permission."

"Go to hell," Hoshi replied, storming out of the office.

Trip followed her, his smile slipping. "Come on, Hosh! Aren't you glad to see me?"

"No."

"You're still mad at me?"

"Yes."

"It's been 10 years, Hoshi."

"No, Trip," Hoshi said, stopping and turning back towards him. "It's been 9 years, 8 months, and 15 days," she corrected before starting to walk away again.

"16 days."

"What?"

"You said 15 days," Trip said softly. "The sun's down, Hosh. It's been 9 years, 8 months, 16 days, and 8 minutes."

Hoshi was quiet for a moment, just looking at him. "You know it that exactly?"

"You wanna know the seconds? 'Cause I can tell you. I've felt every second of it."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you here, Captain?" Hoshi asked, forcing down the emotions. Trip visibly whinced at how cold she sounded. "I'm here because I lo..."

"Don't!" Hoshi ordered, shaking her head. "Don't you dare, Trip! Don't you dare tell me you love me!"

"I do. You're...I've done nothing but think of you for all this time."

"I doubt that."

Trip reached out and grabbed her hand, pushing a padd into it. "Read it, Hosh. Just read it," he pleaded. "Please."

"Leave me alone, Captain Tucker," Hoshi said, pulling away from him.

Trip sighed, nodding. "Just read it, Hoshi. And if you want to talk to me..."

"I won't."

"If you change your mind. Malcolm knows where I'll be," Trip insisted, watching as she walked away.

* * *

Hoshi walked into her apartment and set her bag down. As she did, it tilted over and the padd Trip had given her fell out. She bent down to retrieve it, and held it in her hand for a minute. Finally she carried it over to the kitchen counter and set it down there as she started making herself some tea. When she had poured it, she turned back to the padd and stared at it again, wanting more than anything to just throw it away. Finally she picked it up and activated it, beginning to read the text. As she did, she slowly set the tea down and sank into a chair, surprised by what she saw. It was letters, ones she had recieved, but sent back with refusal notices. Every single one of them.

> Hoshi,
> 
> I know you hate me right now. Hell, I hate myself. I promised you I'd get an assignment on Earth so we could be together, then I took off and went back out on the Enterprise. For a 5 year tour of all things. What the hell was I thinking? We're only a day out and already I wanna steal a shuttle pod and head back to you, even if it means court martial. I love you, Hoshi.
> 
> Trip

She pressed the button to go to the next document, then the next, and the next. Each one tore at her heart more and more. He counted the days until he could return. He counted the minutes, the seconds. For 5 years. And then he got home.

> Hoshi,
> 
> I deserved that. I know I did. Doesn't mean it didn't hurt like hell. Do I stand a chance of getting you to forgive me, Hosh? Is there still a chance you can forgive me? That you can love me again? Even if there's not, I'll always love you. Until the day I die.
> 
> Trip
> 
> Hoshi,
> 
> You probably know by now, but there's a war going on. The Romulans have attacked us. Hoshi, Travis is dead. It happened so fast. the entire bridge was in flames, and we couldn't get to him in time. I know you were friends, and I didn't want you to find out on the news.
> 
> I'm writing this from my console in Engineering, while I take a 2 minute break from trying to get us to Warp 6. We need the extra push. If we don't, I think we're going to die out here.
> 
> For the first time in 5 years, 9 months, 18 days, and 12 hours, I'm glad you aren't here. I'm glad your safe. I love you.
> 
> Trip
> 
> Hoshi,
> 
> I don't think I'll ever get to apologize in person. I think I'm gonna die out here, just like Travis, Cutler, and more than half the crew. Did you know the Enterprise can run with only 27 people on board? Neither did I, but now I do. We're dying out here, and I don't think any of us will ever see home again.
> 
> I know I'll get this letter back like all the others I've written, but I still have to write them, Hoshi. It's been exactly 7 years today. 7 years since I left you on Earth. And I still think of you everyday. And I still thank God you're not out here with us.
> 
> I love you more than ever.
> 
> Trip
> 
> Hoshi,
> 
> I think this is it, I'm gonna die today. The Romulans are on board. They're wearing some sort of armor, so we can't see them, but T'Pol confirmed it was Romulan armor. Right before they killed her. And then they killed Phlox for trying to help her. I admit it, I was a coward. They didn't see me, so I ran. I'm hiding in the crawlspace right now. I just want to send you one last letter, let you know that I still love you, even though you hate me.
> 
> I don't want to die without seeing your face again, Hoshi. But I'm going to.
> 
> Please forgive me.
> 
> Trip
> 
> Hoshi,
> 
> I'm alive. Don't ask me why, but Jon sacrificed himself for me. Not like I deserve it. The only members of the old gang left are Malcolm, you, and me. And you're not here. Thank God. I'm the highest ranking officer left on board, and everyone's turning to me. I don't really know what to do. I'm not the Captain, Hoshi, why does everyone think I am? Malcolm's handling everything at the moment. I think he's doing a better job than I could. He can be captain, I'll just be the engineer.
> 
> I love you.
> 
> Trip

Hoshi held her hand to her mouth, tears streaming down her face. She didn't notice that her tea had long since gone cold, or that she had been sitting there all night reading his letters, and it was morning. She kept reading, and finally she came to the last one, dated almost 6 months ago.

> Hoshi,
> 
> It's over. We finally did enough damage. They surrendered. As the captain of the ship that destroyed their lead ship, I've been invited to attend the signing of the treaty. I'm finally gonna get to see those SOB's face to face. And I think I may spit int heir faces. Court Martial be damned. These guys killed my crew. They killed our friends. I hate them. Believe it or not, Macolm, who always loved blowing things up, is the one talking sense into me. I never could have lasted this long without a first officer like him.
> 
> After the signing, I've requested leave on Earth. I'm gonna come see you Hoshi. Or at least I'm gonna try. I hope you'll talk to me. I need to talk to you about everyone. I need to know if we ever have a chance of even being friends again. I don't want to just be friends, I want to be more. But if all we can be is friends, I'll be okay. I just don't want you to hate me anymore.
> 
> I still love you Hoshi. 9 years, 2 months, 13 days, and 11 hours since I last kissed you, and I've never stopped.
> 
> Trip

Hoshi frowned, wondering why it took 6 months for him to get home, and why he didn't send any letters in between. She pushed herself up and went to her phone, only realizing as she sat down that it was morning. She quickly sent a message to Malcolm, hoping he was in his Starfleet Headquarters Apartment. After a moment, he replied and she smiled at his face on the screen.

"Malcolm," she said.

"Trip said he spoke to you last night," Commander Malcolm Reed said in a clipped tone. "Did you finally read his letters?"

"I didn't even notice when the sun rose," Hoshi replied. "Where is he?"

"Enterprise," Malcolm said, smiling just slightly. "He insists on overseeing all the repairs, even considering."

"Considering what?" Hoshi asked.

"Considering the fact that his leg barely works," Malcolm said. "I assumed you saw last night."

"What happened? His letters didn't..."

"The Romulans got in one last attack before the treaty was signed. One of them shot Trip in the leg as he was walking into the conference room. Damn Starfleet's covering it up to protect the treaty, but his career is in the air. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, he didn't even get to see the face of the woman who shot him. She was wearing that damn armor," Malcolm explained, looking down and shaking his head. After a moment, he looked up again. "Go talk to him, Hoshi. I'll shuttle you up myself. He needs to know you don't hate him."

"Where are you?"

"Amazon University Launch Pad."

"Did he..."

"No, I think he's about ready to give up on you ever forgiving him. I just hoped."

"I'll be there in 15 minutes."

"I'll be waiting."

* * *

"Did he ever hate me?" Hoshi asked as the shuttle docked with the Enterprise.

"Never," Malcolm said confidently. "He was always asking the rest of us if we knew if you were okay. He never asked for details, all he wanted was to know that you were okay. And everytime he got one of his letters back, he'd say that at least he knew you were okay. He never stopped loving you for a second."

The pair left the shuttle and the security officer on duty saluted Malcolm, who ignored him as he guided Hoshi around the supplies that littered the corridoor. "What's going on?" she asked.

"We're goin' back out. Hopefully with Trip in command, but I think he's about ready to resign, even if they don't make him retire," Malcolm said. "Of course, if the thing that makes him decide to retire is you giving him a 2nd chance, then we'll make do."

By then they'd arrived in Engineering, and Hoshi took the lead, walking in and remembering the past for a moment. Then, as her eyes swept the large room, she saw him on the upper level, working at a console. She slowly crossed to the stairs and headed up, walking up to him without saying a word.

"Prater, did you finish the recalibration?"

"I'm not Prater," Hoshi said softly.

Trip straightened, turning. "Hosh? You came?" he asked, surprised and hopeful.

"I read the letters. Every single one," Hoshi said, close to tears again. "You always said you loved me at least once."

"I thought it a million times," Trip said. "Every second."

"Why...why did you stop sending letters 6 months ago?"

"I was pathetic enough, falling apart when Jon died. And then getting hurt like that when the war was over. I didn't need to add to it. Everyone knows who you are Hoshi. Our current comm officer likes to gossip, and all my sent and returned letters were a hot topic. I didn't need to be anymore pathetic. By continuing to send 'em."

"If I'd known you were hurt, I would have..."

"How could you have, Hoshi? You never read my letters."

"I had no idea, Trip."

"Can you forgive me? At least enough to be friends?"

"I forgave you the mintue I stopped getting the letters and I started wondering if you were okay," Hoshi said, the tears starting to fall. "Can you forgive me for never giving you a chance?"

"You know I could never stay mad at you, Darlin'," Trip said, cradling her face in his hands. "I still love you."

"I love you, too," Hoshi replied, gently pulling him into a kiss. "As much as ever."

A whistle and applause were heard, and the pair turned, seeing Malcolm leading the engineering team in the cheering. "What can I say?" Malcolm called up to them. "I've been waiting for this for 10 years!"

"9 years, 8 months, 16 days," Hoshi started.

"12 hours, 23 minutes, and 15 seconds," Trip finished.

### 4 Months Later

Trip stared out at the ocean, realizing that he really had made the right decision. He had everything he needed.

"Everything okay?" Hoshi asked as she shifted in bed and rested her chin on his shoulder. "What are you looking at?"

"The ocean."

"We'll see it again. In about 5 years."

"You're sure?"

"All I really need, is you. Besides, I miss figuring out languages in the field. With pressure, and..."

"And a handsome Captain to fall into bed with after a hard day?"

Hoshi laughed and slapped his shoulder. "Come on, Captain Tucker, we need to get dressed."

"Anything you say, Lt. Tucker," Trip replied, raising her hand to his lips and gently kissing the ring that was there.

"It's still Lt. Sato, and you know it," Hoshi said.

"Yes, Ma'am."


End file.
